Electronic database for recruitment agency

Jun 18, 2008 News

The Ministry of Labour is working to create an electronic database of unemployed persons seeking jobs and the available openings.

This is according to Permanent Secretary (PS) within the Labour Ministry, Trevor Thomas, who said that the database will be used by the ministry’s Central Recruitment and Manpower Agency.

“We are working to build an electronic database, where the available skills will be matched with the existing vacancies,” Thomas disclosed.

He was at the time addressing the tendency of mothers to drive young children into the workforce.

“We have recognised the challenges, and in this regard we are encouraging parents to register with the agency to secure a job for themselves, so they wouldn’t have to force these young children to work,” Thomas noted.

He said that, in tackling child labour, the challenge of keeping children in school must be targeted from the perspective of the Education Ministry.

Thomas added that in order to keep children in school, part of the effort involves providing an alternative to the child’s employment.

“And we feel that this is a good effort towards securing employment for those mothers who may be prone to sending their children to work at a very young age,” Thomas remarked.

He added that the ministry is presently training 1,700 out-of-school youths to develop greater skills for employment.

The three-year project, aimed at providing early school-leavers with an employable skill, is being conducted in Regions One, Two, Three, Four, Six and 10.

“We hope to develop not only the necessary skills for employment, but also to create a desire in these youths for further learning,” the PS stated.

The ministry reported earlier this year that 94 apprentices who completed training as skilled artisans were certified by the Board of Industrial Training (BIT).

Additionally, 487 youths received certification after completing the National Training Project for Youth Empowerment.

The ministry said 241 of the graduates have gained employment, while 14 have been accepted in formal technical institutions to pursue further studies.

Since the beginning of the year, over 2,000 jobs have been sourced for unemployed persons.

Additionally, the ministry has intensified its HIV programme in the workplace under the theme “Embracing the fight against HIV/AIDS in workplaces”.

Thomas said that HIV is more than a public health issue, and is a fight which demands national participation.

He added that organisations which already have an existing health and safety committee will be required to incorporate the HIV programme, which will be mainstreamed into other labour interventions.

Minister of Labour Manzoor Nadir noted that the ministry will benefit from the support of the Health Sector Development Unit (HSDU).

He mentioned that the HIV programme will be governed by three strategies of awareness, policing and prosecuting.

The minister emphasised that once the programme is implemented, there will be no letting up in prosecuting offenders.

Minister Nadir stated that ignorance has never been an excuse, and will never be an excuse.
According to the minister, the ministry’s role will be to protect workers from discriminatory practices.

Already, inspectors from the Health and Safety Unit have emblazoned the HIV logo onto their safety uniforms.
The ministry launched its campaign against child labour last Thursday.